10 Reasons to Buy the Xbox One Even If You Don’t Care About Gaming

Here's our non-gamer's guide to Microsoft's newly released console.

Earlier in the week, we gave you “6 Reasons to Buy the PS4 Even If You Don’t Care About Gaming.” That didn’t seem to go over too well with some of our readers. Yes, the $399 PlayStation 4 has all of the perks of a $100 3D Blu-ray player. However, it’s really geared towards the gaming crowd. Of course, that doesn’t mean that non-gamers shouldn’t have a little fun with it, too!

Today, Microsoft released the Xbox One. This completing console claims to be “built by gamers, for gamers.” That said, the console is definitely more of a multitasker than the PS4.

Would a non-gamer buy the Xbox One? Probably not, especially given the $499 price tag. However, if you have the means, there are plenty of interesting options that a non-gamer could partake in. With the console out today, let’s take a peek at 10 reasons you should buy a Xbox One, even if you don’t care about gaming.

1. There’s live TV. The Xbox One has an HDMI input and works in conjunction with cable and satellite TV services. That way, you don’t have to switch inputs for gaming and TV. However, because of the console’s functionality, you also don’t have to flip flop around for Blu-ray or streaming media. Big deal, right? Microsoft wants to make viewing live TV through the Xbox One even more enticing, so they’ve added OneGuide, an easy-to-use programming guide that allows you to search for TV shows and movies via voice commands.

2. It’s got Kinect. The Xbox One comes packaged with the Kinect peripheral, which is a nice bonus. The add-on was originally designed to put a little motion into gameplay. However, it puts a whole new level of control on the Xbox One, adding gesture and the aforementioned voice commands into the everyday entertainment experience.

3. It still plays nice with your remote. If you’re sick of waving your arms around, the Xbox One is also compatible with most universal remotes. That could come in handy for playing Blu-rays and some of the console’s other entertainment functions.

4. Xbox SmartGlass. This perk can turn your smartphone or tablet into a second screen, which interacts with the Xbox One. From there, it can deliver an interactive experience on select programs and movies. However, it also allows you to use that portable as a remote, so you can navigate through TV options, pause or rewind a movie, surf the web, and more.

5. It has a Blu-ray player. It wouldn’t be fair to mention the Blu-ray player in our PS4 article and not here. Also it’s important to note, since this is something new for Xbox users — something they’ve been seeking for years. It doesn’t do 3D, but it can play Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs.

6. It’s got all sorts of apps. Like the PS4 and many Blu-ray players out there, the Xbox One has apps. Out of the box, you should be able to find Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Redbox Instant, Skype, and much more. And if you don’t see something that you like right away, you can find new ones using voice search.

7. Oh, Snap! The Xbox One comes packing the Snap feature, which allows users to do two things at once. If someone is gaming, you can listen to music or you can monopolize the console by watching TV and surfing the web simultaneously.

8. There’s a personalized Home screen. Users can personalize the Xbox One experience by pinning content to the home screen. That way, every time the system powers up, the content that you find most interesting will be right at your fingertips.

9. You can get in shape. Of course, there are all sorts of Kinect-based games to get your arms and legs flailing. However, this console also comes packing Xbox Fitness. This exclusive allows you to train with Jillian Michaels, Tracy Anderson, P90X, Insanity and more, with personalized Kinect-based features such as Muscle Mapping, Power Gauge, and Pulse.

10. It can calibrate your HDTV. It’s not an exact science, but the Xbox One does offer a calibration feature. “It’s actually a manual calibration,” Albert Penello, Microsoft’s director of product planning, recently told the Reddit crowd. “There are a series of screens and instructions that help get your contrast, brightness and color settings correct to get the best picture.”